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maregred's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Moderate: Vomit, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual harassment, Gun violence, Car accident, Rape, Forced institutionalization, Drug abuse, Abandonment, Abortion, Addiction, Trafficking, Sexual content, Alcoholism, Blood, Body shaming, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Kidnapping, Sexism, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Cursing, Violence, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Infidelity, Grief, Toxic friendship, Panic attacks/disorders, Drug use, Death of parent, Colonisation, Classism, Pregnancy, and Death
savvyrosereads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A Mercedes runs over five people on the streets of New Delhi, setting in motion an epic family saga involving three characters from very different backgrounds and families.
Everyone in the world seems to be reading this book recently, and it’s easy to see why—it’s unique and captivating, with beautifully written prose and insightful commentary on class and colonialism. And as literary fiction and a family saga but with a crime fiction edge, Age of Vice has something to offer fans of many different genres.
Still, while I absolutely understand the appeal, I also felt that the book was a bit over-long: it’s nearly 600 pages, but most of that is dedicated to providing a level of deep background into the characters that I didn’t always find necessary. The story is clearly meant to be a slow burn, but I occasionally found it a bit *too* slow, and wanted more plot and action, especially after such an explosive beginning.
All of that said, this book has a lot of positives that outweigh the negatives. The writing is incredibly cinematic and I know that it will make for an incredible miniseries or movie (rights were sold in a bidding war years before publication!) And, the payoff of the ending was big enough that I’ll definitely pick up the second book in the planned trilogy when it releases.
Recommended to anyone, but especially if you like: epic family sagas; The Godfather but set in India; cinematic novels
CW: Sexual assault/rape; child abuse; murder/death/death of parent; drug abuse/use; torture; classism; violence generally
Graphic: Classism, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Murder, Self harm, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death of parent, Sexual content, Suicide, Torture, Death, Drug use, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Car accident, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual violence, Rape, Trafficking, Violence, and Confinement
egmamaril's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Alcohol, Drug abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Drug use, Gun violence, Murder, and Suicide
Moderate: Misogyny and Fatphobia
Minor: Abortion, Alcoholism, and Pregnancy
There is also some ableist language and a lot of inter-caste racism.15ash's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.5
Graphic: Car accident, Death, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Classism, Drug use, Gun violence, Murder, Suicide, Trafficking, Rape, Sexual content, Abortion, Addiction, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Slavery, Torture, and Violence
hilaryreadsbooks's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Abortion, Emotional abuse, Addiction, Violence, Toxic friendship, Suicide, Sexual violence, Murder, Kidnapping, Cursing, Confinement, Rape, Gun violence, Drug use, Death, Self harm, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Physical abuse, Trafficking, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual harassment, Panic attacks/disorders, and Grief
elizabeth_lepore's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Alcohol, Violence, Car accident, Death, Murder, Drug abuse, and Drug use
Moderate: Abortion, Child abuse, and Rape
Minor: Suicide, Sexual content, and Panic attacks/disorders
cc_shelflove's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Can we just talk about the fact that I finished this beast in 36 hours? Who am I? Kapoor’s writing makes it so easy for the reader to picture everything in his or her head so vividly. I was flying through pages because I felt like I was literally watching everything unfold before my eyes. You can imagine my excitement, then, when I heard this was already selected by FX to be a television series. There will also be two more books in the saga… sign me up! In short, Age of Vice is like Sons of Anarchy without the motorcycles (but maybe there are just a few motorcycles sprinkled in…).
I started getting serious Anakin vibes about a quarter of the way through the novel. If you’re a Star Wars fan, you know what I mean. The reader faces a man who will go to any means to get his revenge. Actually, several of these men. These people are pretty fucked up.
If I had to pick one thing that made this book stand out to me, it would be the multiple points of view. Instead of alternating chapters between characters as is typical of this writing style, Kapoor writes the same events through different eyes. Very interesting!
Another book I likely never would have read if not for Book of the Month. A juicy delight.
Graphic: Car accident, Drug abuse, Alcohol, Murder, Drug use, and Gun violence
Moderate: Trafficking, Abortion, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders and Suicide